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“Black Panther”

As excited as I am for Infinity War in May, I have a feeling it’s not going to top Black Panther. This is the best MCU film since Civil War.

T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is crowned king of Wakanda a week after his father’s death in Civil War. He then faces moral dilemmas when a radical terrorist named Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) appears and challenges T’Challa for the throne.

Director/co-writer Ryan Coogler (the great Creed) delivers an incredible MCU installment with Black Panther. Instead of focusing on gadgets, fight scenes, origin stories, or leading up to another MCU movie, Coogler focuses on the world building and politics of Wakanda.

Wakanda is a majestic city with advanced technology and vibrant costumes. The political system is progressive yet libertarian, considering Wakanda’s leaders want to remain separate from the rest of the world. Killmonger’s authoritarian ideal clashing with T’Challa’s libertarian views add a refreshingly subtle political depth.

Boseman and Jordan both deliver charismatic and multi-layered performances. Boseman portrays T’Challa as the confident good guy who becomes disillusioned when he learns dark secrets about Wakanda while Jordan plays Killmonger as a vengeful-yet-sympathetic villain. When they clash, it’s a battle of pride, anger, legacy, and honor.

Coogler once again directs a spectacular character driven action film. As much as I loved his one-shot casino fight and the brutal hand-to-hand combat scenes where T’Challa defends his throne, I was more intrigued with his visual storytelling. The scenes with T’Challa and Killmonger having visions of their past and the afterlife heighten their ambitions and their flaws. They’re both equally capable of being either good or bad men, so when they come face-to-face, it’s hard to pick a side.

I’m a big comic book fan, but I put film criticism first. Black Panther is one of the few MCU movies I consider flawless. It’s heartfelt, realized, kinetic, and inspiring.